Control pads of various types are known and used across a relatively wide variety of fields. Typically, such pads include one or more keys, buttons or pressure responsive areas which upon application of suitable pressure by a user, generate a signal which is supplied to associated control circuitry.
Unfortunately, prior art control pads are somewhat limited, in that they only allow for a single configuration of keys, buttons or pressure sensitive areas. Standard layouts rarely exist in a given field, and so a user is frequently compelled to learn a new layout with each control pad they use. For example many automatic teller machines (“ATMs”) and electronic funds transfer at point of sale (“EFTPOS”) devices use different layouts, notwithstanding their relatively similar data entry requirements. This can be potentially confusing for a user who must determine for each control pad the location of buttons required to be depressed. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that such control pads frequently offer more options than the user is interested in, or even able to use.
Overlay templates for computer keyboards and the like are known. However they are relatively inflexible in design terms and require a user to correctly configure the system with which the keyboard is associated, each time the overlay is to be used.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a control template or smart card which is useful in a wide range of applications. In particular, in order to achieve the broadest utility it is desirable to have third parties other than the card manufacturer and the ultimate end user able to program the card with either the third party's intended use or the ultimate end user's intended use.
Novelty searches conducted after the earliest priority date of the present application disclosed International Patent Application No. PCT/FR95/00827 published in French under International Patent Publication No. WO95/35534. An English language translation of the specification is conveniently available as Australian Patent Publication No. AU-A-28896/95. That specification discloses a card reading device (also referred to as a control housing) intended for the remote control of equipment, for example. The control housing consisted of a transparent key pad arranged to overlie a smart card/memory card having indicia regularly arranged on the surface of the card at positions corresponding to the keys of the keypad.
Thus a television manufacturer, for example, could manufacture such a smart card and supply the smart card together with the control housing and a television. Then the customer would be able to utilise the control housing in conjunction with the smart card as a remote control device for the television. In this way the television manufacturer, would not need to manufacture a specific remote control device for their product but could utilise a generic card reading device in conjunction with their specific smart card.
However, this concept is limiting because the control data in the smart card for the machine to be controlled comes from the machine manufacturer and thus is limited in its application.